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Jim Oberstar
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Minnesota's 8th district
In office
January 3, 1975 – January 3, 2011
Preceded byJohn Blatnik
Succeeded byChip Cravaack
Chair of the House Transportation Committee
In office
January 3, 2007 – January 3, 2011
Preceded byDon Young
Succeeded byJohn Mica
Ranking Member of the House Transportation Committee
In office
October 10, 1995 – January 3, 2007
Preceded byNorman Mineta
Succeeded byJohn Mica
Personal details
Born
James Louis Oberstar

(1934-09-10)September 10, 1934
Chisholm, Minnesota, U.S.
DiedMay 3, 2014(2014-05-03) (aged 79)
Potomac, Maryland, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse(s)Jo Garlick (Deceased)
Jean Kurth
Children4
EducationUniversity of St. Thomas, Minnesota (BA)
College of Europe (MA)
Jim Oberstar's voice
Oberstar, as chair of the House Transportation Committee, speaks in support of the Maritime Pollution Prevention Act of 2008
Recorded March 26, 2007

James Louis Oberstar (September 10, 1934 – May 3, 2014) was an American politician and Congressman who served in the United States House of Representatives from 1975 to 2011.[1] Hailing from Minnesota and a member of the state's local Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party, he represented the northeastern eighth congressional district, which included the cities of Duluth, Brainerd, Grand Rapids, International Falls, and Hibbing, and consisted in an area of Minnesota known as the Iron Range. He was chaired the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee from 2007 until his departure, previously being the ranking minority member since 1995. In November 2010, he was defeated by a margin of 4,407 votes by Republican Chip Cravaack. He served the longest tenure of any Congressman from Minnesota.

Early life, education and career

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Oberstar was born in Chisholm, Minnesota, and on his deathbed, he still owned his original family home in Chisholm. His father Louis, of German ancestry, was an iron ore miner and the first card-carrying member of the United Steelworkers (USW) on the Iron Range of Minnesota.[2] Oberstar also has Slovenian ancestry.[3]

Oberstar graduated from Chisholm High School in 1952 and went on to the College of St. Thomas (now the University of St. Thomas) in St. Paul, Minnesota where he received his B.A. degree in 1956.[4] He received a master's degree in European Studies from the College of Europe in Bruges, Belgium in 1957,[4] with further study at Université Laval in Sainte-Foy, Quebec, Canada and Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.

He spent four years as a civilian language teacher in the United States Marine Corps, teaching English to Haitian military personnel and French to American Marine officers and noncommissioned officers.[5]

He served on the staff of Minnesota's 8th District U.S. Representative John Blatnik for 12 years, from 1963 to 1974,[4] rising to chief of staff. He was also the administrator of the Committee on Public Works for the U.S. House of Representatives from 1971 to 1974.[4]

U.S. House of Representatives

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He was an internationally recognized expert on aviation and aviation safety. He served on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee during his entire time in the House. (His predecessor Blatnik had chaired the committee during his last two terms in Congress, known as the Public Works Committee, with Oberstar as staff administrator). He was also a member of the President's Commission on Aviation Security and Terrorism.

In 1965, Oberstar helped create the Economic Development Administration, the only federal agency devoted to the creation and retention of jobs in economically distressed American communities.[6]

Oberstar in 1991

Oberstar was a strong supporter of the Duluth-based aircraft manufacturer Cirrus Aircraft and even helped bring the company to Minnesota in 1994 from its first home in Baraboo, Wisconsin.[7][8] That same year, he assisted in passing the General Aviation Revitalization Act, which was said to have reinvigorated the general aviation industry nationwide.[8]

Congressman Don Young hands over the gavel to incoming Transportation Chairman Jim Oberstar on December 6, 2006.

An avid cyclist, Oberstar championed the creation of trails for cycling and hiking to promote active lifestyles. In 2005, he authored, co-sponsored, and helped to pass the SAFETEA-LU act, a $295 billion program[9] that funds transportation infrastructure, including highways, bridges, and public transportation, such as subways, buses, and passenger ferries and which includes the Safe Routes to Schools program. At the 2007 BikeWalk California conference and other bicycling conferences, Oberstar advocated converting the U.S.'s transportation system "from a hydrocarbon-based system to a carbohydrate-based system."

He was rated the third most liberal member of the Minnesota delegation in the 109th Congress, scoring 13% by a conservative group[10] and 86% progressive by a liberal group.[11] Minnesota Congressional Districts shows the scores for the entire delegation.

Oberstar in 2010

Along with John Conyers, in April 2006, Oberstar brought an action against George W. Bush and others alleging violations of the U.S. Constitution in the passing of the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005.[12] The case, (Conyers v. Bush), was ultimately dismissed.[13]

Within days after the collapse of the I-35W Mississippi River bridge, Oberstar introduced and succeeded in passing legislation to appropriate $250 million to the Minnesota Department of Transportation to quickly build a replacement bridge.[14]

In 2004, Oberstar led the opposition to the Commercial Space Launch Amendments Act of 2004, a bill that established a regulatory framework for private suborbital spaceflight, arguing that the bill did not sufficiently safeguard passenger and crew safety. "I do not want to see people dead from a space experiment, and then the federal government comes in to regulate".[15]

During his tenure in Congress, Oberstar held leadership positions on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, was House Democratic At-Large Whip, and was a member of the executive committee of the Democratic Study Group. He also served on the International Relations Committee. He was co-chair of the Great Lakes Task Force and was a member of the Upper Mississippi Task Force and the Democratic Homeland Security Task Force. He co-chaired the Congressional Travel and Tourism Caucus and was a member of the following caucuses: the Bike Caucus; the Caucus for Sustainable Development; the Congressional Caucus on Global Road Safety; the Congressional Human Rights Caucus; the Congressional Steel Caucus; the Medical Technology Caucus; the Mississippi River Caucus; the Native American Caucus and the Renewable Energy Caucus.

Political positions

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Social Issues

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Oberstar was an anti-abortion Democrat, and believed it should only be allowed if the pregnancy resulted from rape or incest, or if the life of the mother was endangered.[16][17] He sponsored multiple constitutional amendments to enshrine a right to life provision, and to prohibit abortion services unless the mother's life was in danger.[18][19]

One of his first congressional achievements was the passage of an amendment in 1976 to prohibit federal funding of the procedure. While the amendment, known as the Hyde Amendment, was officially introduced by fellow freshman member Henry Hyde (R-IL), Oberstar formulated the text himself, handwriting it on a slip of paper; due to the appeal of a Republican co-sponsor, and Hyde's seat on the House Judiciary Committee, it was determined the amendment would have an easier chance of passing if Hyde introduced it.[20][21] Prohibition of federal funding of abortion services, through the amendment, was one of the first legislative gains made by the anti-abortion movement after the Roe v. Wade decision, which legalized abortion nationwide.[22]

Oberstar (second from right), watching President George W. Bush sign the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act in 2003.

He voted in 2003 to ban intact dilation and extraction, also known as "partial-birth abortion", and was present at the bills' signing by President George W. Bush.[23][24] He showed his full support in 2005–2006 to the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC).[25] Oberstar voted against legislation in 2005 to require the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to research embryonic stem cells, and again in 2007, one of the only 14 and 16 Democratic members respectively to do so.[26][27] The Congressional Pro-Life Caucus was co-chaired by Oberstar, along with Republican Chris Smith of New Jersey.[28]

Oberstar supported the bill to move the Terri Schiavo case to federal court, and appeared at a press conference with then-House Majority leader Tom DeLay to urge its passing.[29]

During his congressional tenure, Oberstar had a generally supportive record on LGBT rights. The Defense of Marriage Act passed in 1996 with the support of 118 House Democratic members, including Oberstar.[30] However, after that vote he started to vote more in line with LGBT advocacy groups, such as the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), which gave him ratings of 86%, 88%, 69%, and 88% for the 108-111th Congress'.[31][32] He voted in favor of making crimes motivated by discrimination against sexual orientation or gender identity a federal hate crime in 2009, and cosponsored a bill in 2003 to prohibit employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.[33][34]

Economic Issues

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Oberstar was a strong supporter of the Head Start Program, a national program from the HHS to promote school readiness by enhancing social and cognitive development of children through the provision of educational, health, nutritional, social, and other services.[35] He considered it to be one of the most successful federal anti-poverty programs ever created.[36] Oberstar also supported the American Association of University Women (AAUW), which has been a leading voice promoting education and equality for women and girls nationwide;[37] he fully supported the AAUW in 2007 and 2008.[38] Interest groups, like the American Association of University Women (AAUW) and the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP), gave him 100 points of support.[39] In the early 1980s, Oberstar gave federal aid to the establishment of the Natural Resources Research Institute at the University of Minnesota Duluth to provide applied research and technology development to Minnesota's natural resource-based economy.

Oberstar was rated 100 by Environment America and the League of Conservation Voters in 2009.[40] The American Wind Energy Association also gave him a rating of 100 in 2006.[40] He voted to pass the Energy and Environmental Law Amendments, which aimed to establish a program to regulate greenhouse gas emissions in 2009.[40] He also voted to pass a bill, Trade-in Vouchers for Fuel-Efficient Cars, in 2009, which granted a $3,500 voucher, or document that could be exchanged for services in the place of money, for trading in an old vehicle with at least 4 miles per gallon more, the purpose of which was to increase the purchasing of fuel-efficient cars.[40] However, Oberstar went against most Democrats and voted in favor of allowing drilling in ANWR.[41]

Oberstar was a strong supporter of organized labor. He was given an 100% rating by the interest group AFL-CIO, a voluntary group of labor-unions working to improve the lives of working families.[40] Oberstar was also rated 92 by the American Federation of Government in 2009 and 90 by Federally Employed Women in 2009.[40] He voted for three unemployment benefits extension bills in 2010 and three Employment Discrimination Law Amendments in 2009.[40]

According to the Minnesota Congressional Election 2008 Political Courage Test, Oberstar supported having taxes on corporate earnings, gasoline, and cigarettes.[42] In 2008, Americans For Fair Taxation (AFFT) gave Oberstar their lowest possible rating,[38][43] and the National Taxpayers Union gave Oberstar an "F".[38][44] He supported a tax plan containing tax relief for working families, investment tax credits for small businesses, and support for the states, including incentives for transportation construction projects that will immediately put people back to work.[45] Oberstar did not support free trade agreements, such as North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA).[45] He believed that the free trading offers little or no economic opportunity for American workers and producers due to inadequate provisions contained in the agreements.[46]

Political campaigns

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When John Blatnik opted not to run for a 15th term in 1974, he endorsed Oberstar as his successor. Oberstar won and was reelected 16 times without serious difficulty. Democrats Blatnik and Oberstar held the seat from 1947 until 2011. Oberstar's lowest winning percentage was 59 percent in 1992, but after that, until 2010, he did not earn less than 60 percent of the vote. He is the longest-serving member of either house of Congress in Minnesota's history, having served in the 94th through the 111th Congresses from January 3, 1975, to January 3, 2011.

During the 2008 electoral campaign, Oberstar appeared alongside other public officials in a TV ad[47] supporting the reelection of Puerto Rico Governor Aníbal Acevedo Vilá, a fellow Democrat.

During the 2006 elections, Oberstar's Republican opponent was former United States Senator Rod Grams, whose home is in the southwestern corner of the 8th. Grams was the strongest opponent Oberstar had ever faced and the first reasonably well-funded Republican to run in the 8th in decades. Although some polls showed Oberstar only ahead by two points, in the end, he won by over 30 points and did not lose a single county in his district.

During the 2008 elections, Oberstar's Republican opponent was political neophyte and businessman Michael Cummins. Cummins campaigned throughout the district but did not drum up enough support to pose a serious challenge to the veteran Democratic incumbent. Oberstar won with more than 67 percent of the vote.

During the 2010 elections, Oberstar lost a close race to political newcomer and Tea Party favorite, Chip Cravaack, who won a plurality of 48 percent of the vote. The race was seen nationwide as a major upset for Democrats.

Electoral history

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2010
Main article: U.S. House elections, 2010
2010 Eighth Congressional District of Minnesota Elections
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Chip Cravaack 133,474 48.2
Democratic (DFL) James Oberstar 129,067 46.6
Independence Timothy Olson 11,876 4.3
2008
Main article: U.S. House elections, 2008
2008 Eighth Congressional District of Minnesota Elections
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic (DFL) James Oberstar 240,586 67.6
Republican Michael Cummins 114,588 32.2
others 573 0.2
2006
Main article: U.S. House elections, 2006
Main article: Minnesota 8th congressional district election, 2006
2006 Eighth Congressional District of Minnesota Elections
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic (DFL) James Oberstar 194,677 64
Republican Rod Grams 101,744 34
Unaffiliated Harry Welty 6,535 2
2004
Main article: U.S. House elections, 2004
2004 Eighth Congressional District of Minnesota Elections
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic (DFL) James Oberstar 228,509 65
Republican Mark Groettum 112,657 32
Green Van Presley 8,931 3
2002
Main article: U.S. House elections, 2002
2002 Eighth Congressional District of Minnesota Elections
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic (DFL) James Oberstar 193,959 69
Republican Bob Lemen 88,423 31

Personal life

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Oberstar and his first wife, the former Jo Garlick, had four children; she died in 1991. He later married Jean Kurth. The couple lived in Potomac, Maryland, and also maintained Oberstar's boyhood home in Chisholm, Minnesota. Oberstar died at his home in Potomac on May 3, 2014, at the age of 79.[48][49]

Awards and honors

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Bust of Oberstar located in the Duluth International Airport, now known as the "James L. Oberstar Terminal"

In 2009, Oberstar received the Tony Jannus Award for distinguished leadership in commercial aviation.[50]

In May 2011, a Great Lakes ore carrier, of the Interlake Steamship Company, which typically transports taconite pellets from Duluth, Silver Bay and Marquette to steel mills near Detroit, Cleveland, and Chicago, was renamed after him, dubbed the MV Honorable James L. Oberstar.[2][51]

On June 19, 2012, Oberstar was made Commander in the French Ordre national du Mérite.

In October 2015, the new passenger terminal of the Duluth International Airport was named in honor of Oberstar, who helped secure funding for the facility before its 2013 opening. A sculpture of him was also unveiled during the renamed terminal's introduction.[52]

In 2016, he was posthumously inducted into the Minnesota Aviation Hall of Fame.[53]

Papers

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The Congressional Papers of James L. Oberstar are available for research use. They include photographs, sound and video recordings, legislative materials, campaign and political activities, committee work, and legislative staff topical files documenting Oberstar's service as a U. S. Representative from Minnesota's 8th Congressional District (1975–2011). The collection emphasizes Oberstar's activities on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, demonstrated by an extensive series of staff office topical files addressing various issues, projects, and legislation related to aviation, highways and bridges, railways, waterways, and bikeways. Additional significant content focuses on economic development in the Iron Range, travel and tourism, trade, and environmental protection of Minnesota's land and water resources.[54]

Boards and other affiliations

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References

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  1. ^ "Representative James L. Oberstar (1934 - 2014), in Congress 1975 - 2011". United States Congress. Retrieved July 9, 2024.
  2. ^ a b "Ore Boat Renamed After Son Of Iron Ore Miner". Minnesota Progressive Project. May 25, 2011. Archived from the original on June 9, 2011. Retrieved July 4, 2011.
  3. ^ "Umrl nekdanji ameriški kongresnik slovenskih korenin Jim Oberstar". rtvslo.si. Retrieved April 11, 2018.
  4. ^ a b c d "OBERSTAR, James Louis – Biographical Information". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved July 8, 2011.
  5. ^ About Jim Oberstar Accessed August 12, 2006 Archived June 29, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
  6. ^ James L. Oberstar (June 20, 2011). "U.S. Senate Must Act to Continue Support for Agency That Creates Jobs". The Huffington Post. Retrieved July 7, 2011.
  7. ^ "Cirrus to be acquired by Chinese firm". Star Tribune. February 28, 2011. Retrieved May 5, 2014.
  8. ^ a b "Oberstar Legacy Soars with Twin Ports Aviation". May 5, 2014. Archived from the original on July 14, 2014.
  9. ^ Safe Routes to School National Partnership; see also [1]
  10. ^ "Congressional Voting Scorecard 2005" (PDF). SBE Council's Congressional Voting Scorecard 2005. Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council. June 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 29, 2006. Retrieved November 2, 2006.
  11. ^ "Leading with the Left". Progressive Punch. Retrieved November 2, 2006.
  12. ^ "11 House Members to Sue Over Budget Bill". ABC News. Associated Press. April 27, 2006. Archived from the original on February 5, 2009. Retrieved February 20, 2007.
  13. ^ "Judge Dismisses Budget Bill Lawsuit". ABC News. Associated Press. November 6, 2006. Archived from the original on February 3, 2009. Retrieved November 28, 2006.
  14. ^ "Oberstar proposes trust fund for aging bridges". mprnews.com. August 8, 2007. Retrieved May 4, 2014.
  15. ^ Alan Boyle (November 21, 2004). "Space tourism legislation makes comeback". NBC News. Archived from the original on October 11, 2013.
  16. ^ "Congressman James L Oberstar – ADDITIONAL ISSUES". Oberstar.house.gov. Archived from the original on July 7, 2010. Retrieved July 20, 2010.
  17. ^ "Project Vote Smart – Representative James L. 'Jim' Oberstar – Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)". Votesmart.org. Retrieved July 20, 2010.
  18. ^ "H.J.Res.31 - Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States with respect to the right to life". United States Congress. February 23, 1999. Retrieved July 8, 2024.
  19. ^ "Congress rife with abortion bills". The Clarion Ledger. September 4, 1982. p. 11A. Retrieved July 9, 2024.
  20. ^ Day 2006, pp. 95–96.
  21. ^ Pattison, Mark (October 10, 2016). "Hyde Amendment has bipartisan past but cloudy future". Crux. Retrieved July 9, 2024.
  22. ^ Karrer, Robert N. (2011). "The Pro-Life Movement and Its First Years under "Roe"". American Catholic Studies. 122 (3): 63–64. doi:10.1353/acs.2011.a465870 – via JSTOR.
  23. ^ "Roll Call 530 | Bill Number: S. 3". Clerk of the United States House of Representatives. October 2, 2003. Retrieved July 9, 2024.
  24. ^ "Remarks on Signing the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003 | The American Presidency Project". The American Presidency Project. UC Santa Barbara. November 5, 2003. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
  25. ^ "Project Vote Smart – Representative James L. 'Jim' Oberstar – Interest Group Ratings". Votesmart.org. Retrieved July 20, 2010.
  26. ^ "Roll Call 204 | Bill Number: H. R. 810". Clerk of the United States House of Representatives. May 25, 2005. Retrieved July 7, 2024.
  27. ^ "Roll Call 443 | Bill Number: S. 5". Clerk of the United States House of Representatives. June 7, 2007. Retrieved July 7, 2024.
  28. ^ Saletan, William (September 30, 2006). "Where the Rubber Meets Roe". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on July 9, 2024. Retrieved July 9, 2024.
  29. ^ "'Grotesque' or life-saving drama at the Capitol?". NBC News. March 21, 2005. Archived from the original on December 3, 2020. Retrieved July 8, 2024.
  30. ^ "Roll Call 316 | Bill Number: H. R. 3396". Clerk of the United States House of Representatives. July 12, 1996. Retrieved July 8, 2024.
  31. ^ Jacques, Cheryl A.; Statchelberg, Winnie (2004). Congressional Scorecard | Human Rights Campaign | 108th United States Congress (PDF). Human Rights Campaign. p. 18.
  32. ^ Solomonese, Joe (2010). Congressional Scorecard | Human Rights Campaign | 111th United States Congress (PDF). Human Rights Campaign. p. 22.
  33. ^ "H.R.3285 - Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 2003". United States Congress. October 8, 2003. Retrieved July 8, 2024.
  34. ^ "Roll Call 223 | Bill Number: H. R. 1913". Clerk of the United States House of Representatives. April 29, 2009. Retrieved July 8, 2024.
  35. ^ "About the Office of Head Start". Acf.hhs.gov. Archived from the original on July 23, 2010. Retrieved July 20, 2010.
  36. ^ "Congressman James L Oberstar – EDUCATION". Oberstar.house.gov. Archived from the original on July 7, 2010. Retrieved July 20, 2010.
  37. ^ "About". AAUW. Archived from the original on July 21, 2010. Retrieved July 20, 2010.
  38. ^ a b c "Project Vote Smart – Representative James L. 'Jim' Oberstar – Interest Group Ratings". Votesmart.org. Retrieved July 20, 2010.
  39. ^ "Project Vote Smart – Representative James L. 'Jim' Oberstar – Interest Group Ratings". Votesmart.org. Retrieved July 20, 2010.
  40. ^ a b c d e f g -Representative James L. 'Jim' Oberstar - Interest Group Ratings.
  41. ^ "Final vote results for roll call 317". clerk.house.gov. Retrieved November 29, 2023.
  42. ^ "Project Vote Smart – Representative James L. 'Jim' Oberstar – Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)". Votesmart.org. Retrieved July 20, 2010.
  43. ^ "Americans For Fair Taxation". Fairtax.org. Archived from the original on July 12, 2010. Retrieved July 20, 2010.
  44. ^ "About NTU". www.ntu.org. Archived from the original on April 24, 2009.
  45. ^ a b "Congressman James L Oberstar – ECONOMY & JOBS". Oberstar.house.gov. Archived from the original on July 7, 2010. Retrieved July 20, 2010.
  46. ^ "Project Vote Smart – Representative James L. 'Jim' Oberstar – Voting Record". Votesmart.org. Retrieved July 20, 2010.
  47. ^ "¿A quién recomiendan los congresistas?" (Video) (in Spanish). YouTube. October 8, 2008. Retrieved July 20, 2010.
  48. ^ "Former U.S. Rep. Jim Oberstar dies at 79". usatoday.com. Retrieved April 11, 2018.
  49. ^ Southall, Ashley (May 4, 2014). "James Oberstar, 79, Congressman Ousted in Tea Party Tide, Dies". The New York Times. Retrieved April 11, 2018.
  50. ^ Jackovics, Ted (May 7, 2009). "Tony Jannus aviation award goes to Minnesota congressman". The Tampa Tribune.
  51. ^ "Hon. James L. Oberstar". Retrieved May 4, 2014./
  52. ^ "news". Duluth News Tribune. Retrieved April 11, 2018.
  53. ^ "Minnesota Aviation Hall of Fame". Archived from the original on October 1, 2016. Retrieved September 29, 2016.
  54. ^ "James L. Oberstar Congressional Papers". mnhs.org. Retrieved April 11, 2018.

Works cited

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U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Minnesota's 8th congressional district
1975–2011 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Chair of the House Transportation Committee
2007–2011 		Succeeded by
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